120 Days? Oh! No!

I have been determined that I will run the Myrtle Beach mini marathon this year.  That's 13.2 miles.  The farthest I have ever run?  According to Nike+, it's 3.64 miles on April 24, 2012.  Oh, No!  What am I thinking? 

Yesterday I downloaded the Runner's World Smart Coach iPhone Application.  I would start it next week, because it's a 16 week program.

One might ask, why on earth, at the age of 38, I would decide to run a half marathon.  The reason begins with my mother, who went to be with the Lord on May 29, 2002.  By the time Mama was diagnosed, she had Stage 4 esophageal cancer.

Cancer is a killer.  Although there are no definitive causes of this particular cancer, there is a higher risk in individuals who are overweight, have acid reflux disease, or use tobacco.

Okay, so on count three, I'm innocent.  On counts one and two.  Guilty as charged.  When my kind family practitioner informed me that I was damaging my esophagus, I looked at my children.  I knew I had lost my mother way, way too early.  So in addition to taking the medicine prescribed by my doctor, I determined I was going to lose the weight.  This was in 2007.

The weight and this picture were my wake up call:

Walt Disney World Jan, 2007

I bought into Nutrisystem.  I lost 40 pounds.

I was exercising, doing awesome.  The acid reflux was gone.  In 2008, I had made it to this point.

Walt Disney World, October 2008

And then it happened.  Walking through the house, I fell.  I broke my tailbone.  Not being able to do my chosen way of exercise, the exercise bike, I started slowly putting the weight back on.

Until I was here:

Walt Disney World, December 2009

My home, Easter 2010

I had put every pound back on.  And then some.  I stayed in denial until the fall of 2010.

I was back at the doctor.  And this time, it was plantar fasciitis.  It was October.  I was back where I was in 2007.  And I was sick with myself.

It was at that time I started lifting weights, with the help of my husband and his fellow gym rat buddies.  I knew that staying on my feet by running at the time would be too difficult on my poor sad feet.

I lost 30 pounds.  Then I decided to try to run.  I entered my first 5K.

Other than pictures that are now part of my encouragement wall, the next picture I allowed to be taken of me was in March 2011 at my first 5K:

McLeod Sports Medicine 5K; Florence, SC, March 2011

Time of completion:  39 minutes, 46 seconds.  Not great, but for someone who was barely moving the year before, it was an awesome feeling.

I was doing better, but still no where near I wanted to be.  At the same 5K this year, my time was 37 minutes, 17 seconds.  I placed 8th in my division, and recorded my personal best.  I'm still slow.  But I've not stopped!  Today I look better, feel better, and know that I will be ready in 120 days.

And my ultimate goal?  246 days away.  Walt Disney World.  The Princess half marathon.

Today I look like this, but I know by February, I'll be confident enough to post a bikini picture:

Walt Disney World, June 2012